Trials Of The Heart
by Rena
Summary: Lu needs to make a decision that will affect the rest of her life.
1. Different Worlds

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to Lifetime Television.

Author's Note: This idea came to me late one night, so I decided to see what I could do with it. It takes place the day following the season 5 finale

Chapter 1: DIFFERENT WORLDS

Dr. Luisa Delgado glanced at her watch as she hurried into he Rittenhouse Women's Health Center.

"Morning, Lu." Lana Hawkins greeted her friend. "I was wondering when you were gonna..."

"Sorry, I'm late." Lu said quickly, interrupting. "I overslept."

"You've got a few minutes before your first patient. Pour yourself some coffee and sit down for a few minutes." Lana answered. Lana immediately noticed that there was something different about her friend, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Her eyes seemed to be sparkling, her face glowing. Lu noticed the receptionist staring at her.

"Is something wrong, Lana? Why are you staring at me?" Lu asked.

"I was just gonna ask you the same thing. Is something going on that you wanna tell Lana about?" Lu smiled. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep it a secret for long, not with Lana Hawkins around. Lana was the eyes and ears of the entire RWHC.

"Well?" Lana persisted, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"Well, actually..." Lu paused, a wide smile on her face.

"Spill it, Delgado." Lana stated firmly. "What's going on?" Lu held out her left hand. Lana immediately noticed the diamond ring.

"Oh my god. When...?"

"Last night." Lu answered.

"You said yes, right?" Lana asked.

"Not yet." Lu replied, gazing at the beautiful ring.

"What do you mean, not yet? You're not gonna let him get away, are you?"

"He wants my answer when he gets back from Rio on Thursday." Lu answered.

"I sure hope you plan on saying yes. Jonas is a great guy, Lu. And he loves you. And I know you love him. Don't let him get away from you." Lu bit her lip.

"I...I don't know, Lana. I know we love each other, but we came from two different worlds. I don't know if I can fit into his world.

"What? Are you crazy, girl? Why not?"

"Lana, I need to get started with my patients. I'll be in my office. I'll talk to you later." Lana stared after her as she walked briskly down the hall towards her

office.

After a busy morning, Lu was able to find a few moments in the afternoon to spend alone in her office. She took a sip of her coffee as she gazed at the ring on her hand. Lana was right. Jonas loved her. And she loved him. He was a loving, caring person. They had been dating for several months now, and she loved spending time with him. Her thoughts were interrupted by a light knock on the door. "Come in." The door opened and Lana came in.

"Lu, we need to talk."

"About what?" Lu asked.

"I think you know about what." The receptionist replied. "About what you said this morning, about you and Jonas being from two different worlds. What are you talking about?"

"Lana, I think you know what I am talking about." Lu said, taking a sip of her coffee. Lana sat down on the couch and folded her arms across her chest.

"I don't think so, Kid. Maybe you should tell me." Lu took a deep breath.

"Lana, you've known me for years, right?" Lana nodded as Lu continued.

"You know what my life is like. You know how I grew up. You know what kind of patients I treat. I can't afford a fancy car. I can't afford fancy clothes. I can't afford luxury vacations every year. Hell, I'm lucky if I can take a vacation at all. We're just from two different worlds."

"You already said that. And I don't buy it. Lu, listen to me for a minute. You wanna know what I see?" Lu sighed. She knew that whether she wanted to know or not, Lana would tell her anyway.

"What, Lana?"

"I see a handsome man that thinks the world of you. I see a wealthy man that loves you for who you are. I see a man who doesn't care about where you live. I see a man who doesn't care what kind of patients you treat. I see a man who doesn't care how much money your do or don't have."

"Lana..." Lu started, but Lana continued. "Before you make your decision, think about something first."

"What's that?" Lu questioned.

"That man loves you for who you are. He was able to see past where you live, how you grew up, your patients, and finances. He was able to see what's really important. He sees your heart." With that, Lana left Lu's office. Lu sighed as she gazed at the ring once more. Was Lana right? Was Jonas able to see beyond her world and see her heart?


	2. Missing

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to Lifetime Television

Chapter 2: MISSING

Lu slowly opened her eyes, trying to determine what had awakened her. She looked at the clock on the night stand beside the bed. 3:45am. As she began to drift off again, she was suddenly aware of knocking on the door.

"What the hell...?" Lu pulled herself out of bed and hurried into the living room as the loud knock came again.

"I'm coming, hold your horses." When she reached the door, she paused. "Who is it?"

"Police, ma'am. We'd like to talk to you, if we may." Lu looked through the peephole. Yes, it was indeed the police. Lu

opened the door.

"Can I help you Officer?" Lu asked.

"I'm Officer Willis, this is my partner Officer Kody. Are you Dr. Luisa Delgado?"

"Yeah, I'm Lu Delgado." Lu answered.

"And are you associated with a man named Jonas Ray?" Lu bit her lip. Something about the way he asked the question made her nervous. She nodded.

"Yeah, I know Jonas."

"May we come in for a moment?" Lu stood back and allowed them to enter the apartment.

"What's this all about, Officers?" Lu asked. Officer Brody Willis removed his cap, then glanced at his partner.

"Dr. Delgado, is it true that Mr. Ray was flying to Rio?" Lu nodded, unable to speak around the lump in her throat.

"Ma'am, you might like to sit down." Officer Liam Kody suggested.

"I'll stand, thank you." Lu said firmly, wishing the two officers would just get to the point of their early morning visit.

"Air traffic reports that they lost contact with Mr. Ray's plane yesterday afternoon(Monday). He never made it to Rio. When he didn't show up to where he was supposed to be, they contacted air traffic control as to his flight information. Air traffic reported that they had lost contact with him earlier in the afternoon." Officer Willis told her. Lu slowly shook her head, not wanting to believe that Jonas could be missing...or worse.

"No...there must be some mistake." She said. "He...Jonas can't be missing."

"We're sorry, Ma'am. We'll keep you posted on the investigation." After the two officers left, Lu closed the door and quickly locked it. She stood there for a moment, thinking about what the officers had said. "This can't be happening." She told herself. "Not again." Lu walked into her bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed. She glanced over at the picture of her and Jonas that she kept beside her bed. Picking it up, she held it tightly against her chest as tears spilled down her cheeks. Lu sat there for what seemed like hours, barely moving at all, almost as if she were in a trance. The ringing of her alarm at 6am jolted her out of her trance-like-state.

Lu realized that she had been sitting on the edge of the bed in that state for almost two hours. Now, she knew she needed to get ready for work.

Lu went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Once inside the shower, with the water pouring down, Lu cried. And once she started she couldn't stop.

"Good morning, Lu." Lana greeted Lu when she walked into the clinic shortly before 8am. But one look at her told the receptionist that this was anything but a good morning for her friend. Her eyes were bloodshot, obviously from crying and lack of sleep. Lana hurried around the desk.

"My god, Lu. What's wrong? You don't look so good."

"Lana, I'll be in my office." Lu said, not answering Lana's question.

"Sure, Kid." Lana answered, staring after her as she walked down the hall towards her office. Something is definitely wrong here, she told herself. And I'm going to find out what it is. Lana walked down to Lu's office and opened the door, not bothering to knock.

"Lu, something is wrong. What is it? You look like you just lost your best friend."

"I think maybe I did, Lana." Lu said softly, not turning to face her friend, not wanting her to see her tears.

"What are you talking about, Lu?" Lana asked, concerned.

"Look, Lana. I can't talk about it right now. Okay?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll talk to you later." Lu nodded as Lana turned and left the office.

"Excuse me. We'd like to see Dr. Luisa Delgado, if we may." Lana glanced up to see two police officers standing at the desk.

"Yeah, sure. Follow me, Officers." Lana led them down the hall to Lu's office. Without knocking, Lana opened the door.

"Lu, there are two police officers here to see you."

"Thanks, Lana." Lana started to leave the office, but Lu stopped her.

"Lana, wait. Stay?" She asked hopefully.

"Sure, Lu." Lana studied Lu's face carefully. She didn't seem surprised to see these two police officers. Yes, something was most definitely wrong.

"Dr. Delgado, we are here with an update on the situation we spoke to you about earlier this morning." Lu nodded.

"And?" She asked, biting her lip while waiting for an answer, afraid of what that answer might be.

"The plane was found, but there was no sign of Mr. Ray. The pilot was dead. He was removed from the plane and an autopsy will be performed this afternoon to find the cause of death. I'm sorry, Ma'am. I wish we had some news about Mr. Ray." Unable to speak, Lu nodded.

"We'll keep in touch." Lu nodded again. After the two police officers had left, Lana turned to face Lu.

"Lu, what is going on? Where is Jonas? What happened? They talked to you earlier this morning? Lu..." Lu interrupted.

"He's missing, Lana. Jonas is missing. He...he never made it to Rio."

"Oh my god. No, Lu." Lu nodded.

"Lu, I'm going to clear your schedule for the remainder of the day. I think you should go home." Lu shook her head.

"I...I can't, Lana. I need to be here. My patients..."

"I know, I know. They need you." Lana interrupted. "But under the circumstances, I'm sure they would understand." Lu was just about to answer when her beeper went off. Lu glanced at it.

"I...I gotta go. It's the ER."

"But Lu..." Lana started, but Lu interrupted as she ran from her office.

"I said no, Lana." Lana stared after her. As usual, Lu was putting her patients first, not caring what she herself was going through. But Lana did care what her best friend was going through. And she would do anything she could to help her. And somehow, she needed to get Lu to take time off, at least until she knew the whereabouts of Jonas, the man she loved.


	3. A Friend's Support

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to Lifetime Television.

Chapter 3: A FRIEND'S SUPPORT

Lu sighed as she walked into her apartment shortly after 7pm that evening. It had been a very busy day, and she had not even taken time to eat. Keeping herself busy gave her less time to think about the situation at hand.

But now, thoughts of Jonas filled her thoughts. She had not received any further news regarding his whereabouts, and she knew that the more time that passed without finding him, the chances of finding him alive would be slim.

She sat down on the couch, staring into the darkness. "Oh Jonas." She whispered. "Where are you?"

At that moment, Lu felt very alone. If only Marc were here, she thought, referring to her son. He was away at college in Arizona. Or Andy, referring to her former partner at the clinic who had recently been appointed the new Surgeon General of the United States.

Lu picked up the phone and dialed Andy's number in Washington DC. On the third ring, Lu heard a young girl's voice.

"Hello, Campbell residence."

"Lizzie? This is Lu. Is your mom there?" Lu asked, her voice trembling.

"Hi Lu. Sure, she's here. Hold on a sec." Lu waited while the 10 year old went to get her mother. Seconds later she heard the familiar voice of Dr. Andy Campbell.

"Delgado?"

"Yeah, it's me, Andy." Lu answered.

"Lizzie said you sounded like something is wrong. And she's right. What's wrong?"

"Ummm...I...I..." Lu stammered, wondering if she had done the right thing by making this phone call.

"Lu, what is going on? Is Marc okay?" Andy questioned, concerned that maybe something had happened to her son.

"Marc...Marc is fine. It's...it's Jonas." Lu managed, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.

"Jonas?" Andy asked.

"He...he's missing." Lu said quietly.

"What?" Andy asked, not sure she had heard her correctly. "What do you mean, he's missing?"

"He had to fly to Rio yesterday. He...he never made it. His plane went down. The cops came and told me at 4am this morning. They came to the clinic this afternoon and said that the plane was found and the pilot was dead. But...but there was no sign of Jonas." Lu finished. Suddenly, unable to control herself, Lu burst into tears.

"Delgado, I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Andy asked, realizing how very difficult this must be for her friend.

"No...I...I just needed to talk. I'm scared, Andy. First Mickey, and now Jonas." Lu answered. Mickey had been her boyfriend, and she had loved him greatly. He had been murdered by one of her patients, a patient that had clearly meant that bullet for Lu. But Mickey had seen the danger, and had put himself between Lu and the bullet. He had died saving her life.

"He asked me to marry him, Andy." Lu told her. "Sunday. He wanted me to give him my answer when he got back from Rio on Thursday. And now..." Lu's voice trailed off.

"Lu, listen to me for a minute. Don't give up hope. He could still be found. You've got to believe that. If he were dead, chances are they would have found him already, right? I mean, he would still be with the plane. It could be possible that he was able to walk away. Delgado, they will find him. I have a good feeling." Lu couldn't help but smile at her friend's words, as they had been the same words she herself had told Andy when her oldest daughter Jessie had to have back surgery a year earlier.

"I hope you're right, Andy. It's just...it's just that I'm so afraid I've lost him...like I lost Mickey. I can't go through that again. It hurt so bad. I can't.." Lu paused as the tears threatened to take over again.

"Lu, if you'd like, I can be in Philly in the morning. You shouldn't be alone right now. I want you to know that I am always here to support you. You know that, don't you, Lu?" Andy questioned with a gentle voice.

"Thanks, Andy. It helps to know that you are here when I need to talk."

"I'm serious, Lu. I can be there in the morning. The girls can stay with my folks."

"Thanks, Andy. But no, it's okay. Tomorrow's Wednesday. I'll be at the clinic all night."

"Lu, maybe you should consider cancelling all night clinic tomorrow. I mean, you don't need any more stress right now." Andy suggested.

"I can't cancel, Andy. You know that." Andy sighed. Yes, she did know that. Lu always put her patients first. And she knew this would be no exception.

"Lu, call if you need anything, okay? And keep me posted?"

"Sure, Andy. Thanks for talking to me. I...I'd better go in case anyone tries to call with news."

"Call anytime, Lu. Day or night. I'll always be here for you." Without another word, Lu slowly hung up the phone. She was glad that she had called Andy. It had helped in some small way.

Sitting there in the quiet apartment, Lu could no longer control the tears that were once again streaming down her cheeks, and she began to sob, heart wrenching sobs.

Suddenly feeling totally exhausted, Lu curled up on the couch and cried herself to sleep.


	4. Memories Of The Past

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to Lifetime Television.

Chapter 4: MEMORIES OF THE PAST

Lu poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at her desk, glad for a few moments to herself. At only 10:00am, she knew it was going to be a long day, and an even longer night. She knew that this particular Wednesday would be longer than most.

She leaned her head back in her chair and closed her eyes.

"Jonas, please don't leave me too." Lu whispered. She bit her lip. People are always leaving, she thought to herself.

The first person to ever leave her had been her father. He had left shortly after she had been born.

Ten years later, her mother had died of breast cancer, leaving her with Isabel, her grandmother.

At the age of sixteen, her boyfriend, Bill, had run out on her when she had told him that she was pregnant with his child.

"I'm not ready to be a father," Bill had said. "I'm leaving for college next year."

Scared and alone, and with the help of her grandmother, a sixteen year old Luisa Delgado had dropped out of school to give birth to her son, Marc Antonio.

After the birth of her son, Lu had struggled to raise and child and put herself through med school. She hadn't had time for much of a social life.

The past five years had brought into her life several good relationships, but each had ended abruptly.

Jack had decided to break up with her after meeting Marc, stating that he wasn't ready to be a father, especially to someone else's kid.

Then there had been Harry. Lu smiled as she thought of Harry, remembering that she hadn't like him at all the first time she had met him. To her, he had appeared to be arrogant and obnoxious. His daughter Erin had been Marc's girlfriend.

But Erin's mother had started trouble, saying that Harry's relationship with Lu was a bad influence on Erin, and had threatened to sue for custody.

So with no other choice, Harry had had to break up with Lu, and Erin had had to break up with Marc.

Then it was Mickey. She and Mickey had gone to school together. They had been brought together when he had brought his mother in to seek medical care. Lu had diagnosed her with cancer, and was there for him when she had died.

Their friendship renewed, they had quickly become a couple, spending every spare moment together.

But the life of a doctor and a firefighter didn't always make it easy. But still, they had made it work.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she thought about Mickey. She had loved him very much. And not only had he loved her, but he had cared for Marc. He understood that Marc was first in her life, and if he wanted her, he needed to accept Marc also. And Mickey had.

Mickey had been taken from her at the hand of her patient, a hand that had pulled the trigger on the gun, hitting him with the bullet that had been meant for her.

Then it was Ben. Ben had asked her to move to Florida with him, but she couldn't leave the clinic and her patients. So he was out of her life too.

And now, she faced the possibility of losing Jonas. In the months that they had been seeing each other, they had become very close, despite their very different lives and backgrounds.

Lu gingerly fingered the ring on her left hand, the ring that Jonas Ray had slipped on her finger just three days earlier while she slept.

"Give me your answer when I come back from Rio on Thursday." He had said, giving her his award winning smile as the elevator door closed, leaving her staring with excitement at the ring on her finger.

And now, he was missing. Would he come back to her, or would he be gone forever too?

"I can't lose you too, Jonas." She whispered, her voice trembling. "I love you." Lu jumped as her pager interrupted her thoughts. Lu glanced at it.

"The ER. Pull yourself together, Delgado." Lu told herself firmly as she hurried from her office, slamming the door shut behind her.


	5. Jonas

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to Lifetime Television.

Chapter 5: JONAS

Lu shivered in the early morning cold as she stood on the hospital steps, staring out over the fountain that stood in front of the building.

"What are you doing out here without a jacket" Lu jumped at the sudden sound of Lana's voice.

"Just thinking, Lana." Lu replied.

"You can't think with a jacket on? Lu, it's freezing out here."

"Where is he, Lana?" Lu asked, ignoring her friend's comments.

"I don't know, Lu. I'm sure we'll hear something soon." Lana answered. "I know they'll find him."

"What if they don't?" Lu turned to face the receptionist, tears streaming down her cheeks. Lana was silent for a moment as she thought about what she could say to comfort her friend. How could she be encouraging when she herself didn't feel very encouraged at this moment?

"Lu, we need to think positive. We can't give up. I know it's hard, Kid." Lu turned away from Lana and stared off into the distance.

"Sometimes I wonder why Jonas would even want someone like me."

"What in the world do you mean by that?" Lu sighed.

"He could have anyone in the world. Why me?"

"If you're going to start with that two different world thing again, I don't want to hear it." Lana stated firmly. "Lu, can I ask you a question?" Lu nodded.

"Why do you love Jonas?"

"What?" Lu questioned.

"Why do you like Jonas?" Lana asked again.

"I guess because he's caring, kind, fun to be with, handsome, sensitive."

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe he loves you for the same reasons that you love him? He doesn't have a hang up about your income bracket, why do you have a hang up about his?" Lu was silent for a moment as she thought about what Lana had said.

"I don't know, Lana. It's just that..." Lana interrupted. "Girl, can't we continue this inside? It's freezing out here. If you make yourself sick, who is going to care for your patients then?"

"I...I am just so afraid that I am going to lose Jonas like I lost Mickey. I can't go through that again. If Jonas dies..." Lu paused, unable to continue. Lana put her arm around Lu.

"Come on, Kid. Let's go inside." Lu shivered as she walked with Lana into the clinic.

"Sit down while I pour you some coffee. It's only 2:30am. We've still got a long night ahead of us. Things are kind of slow right now, Lu. Maybe you could go to your office and take a nap." Lana suggested. Lu shook her head.

"No, I need to stay awake." Lana handed Lu a cup of coffee, then sat down at her desk. Neither of them spoke for several minutes.

"You know what I was just thinking, Lana?" Lu said, breaking the silence.

"What's that, Lu?" Lana asked.

"I was thinking how lucky I am that someone like Jonas would love me and want to marry me. You were right. It doesn't bother him about my past or my financial situation. He loves me for me."

"That's more like it," Lana said. "He's a very special guy." The phone rang, and Lana quickly answered it. Seconds later she hung up.

"That was..." She started, but stopped when she saw Lu. Lu had her arms folded on the desk, with her head resting on her arms. Lana smiled, realizing right away that the exhausted doctor had fallen asleep. The reception area was totally empty, as it had been a fairly quiet night. Lana hurried down to Lu's office, returning seconds later with a blanket, which she draped over Lu's shoulders.

"Night, Kid. You get some rest. I'll wake you if anyone shows up." Lana was glad that Lu had finally fell asleep, even if it might be only for a short while.

"Please come home, Jonas." Lana whispered. "She needs you." With that, Lana picked up a stack of files and began to file them in the file cabinet.


	6. Exhaustion Wins

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to Lifetime Television.

Chapter 6: EXHAUSTION WINS

"Who's next, Lana?" Lu asked with a heavy

sigh as she handed the receptionist the file from her previous patient.

"Lisa Jo Evens." Lana replied as she handed Lu the new file. "Lu, you look exhausted. Won't you please take a break? It's 4:00 in the morning. You've been going steady all night. Go upstairs for a bite to eat or something. Please, Lu."

"Lana, I can't. There's no time. The ER has been like a mad house tonight, and I still have some of my own patients to see." Lana glanced around the reception area.

"Lu, there are only a few patients here. At least consider going home when you're done with those few. Take the rest of the day off." Lana persisted.

"I can't, Lana. I have chat room at 7:00am and another full day of patients."

"My god, Lu. For once in your life, please think about yourself. You already look like you are about to collapse. You don't look like you can make it another hour much less another day. I think..." Lu interrupted.

"I gotta go, Lana. I'll be fine." Without another word, Lu hurried down the hall to her office. Lana stared after her, shaking her head. What would it take to convince that girl to take some time off until Jonas was found?

"Hey Lana, you seen Lu around?" Nurse Peter Riggs asked.

"Not for the past hour," Lana said, glancing at her watch and noticing that it was 5am. "I'd like to see her go home, but she won't budge." Peter nodded.

"Yeah, I tried talking to her too, but she won't listen. You know how stubborn she is."

"Peter, I don't get it. Her boyfriend is missing, and she won't even take time off. She looks so exhausted, like she can hardly stand up." Lana said in a concerned tone. Peter nodded.

"Yeah. She did the same thing after Mickey..."Peter's voice trailed off as he saw Lu coming down the hall. The look on her face told him that she had heard what he had said.

"Leave Mickey out of this, Peter. What happened to Mickey has nothing to do with anything."

"But Lu..." Peter started, but Lu interrupted.

"Drop it, Peter. I'll be in my office if anyone needs me." Lana and Peter looked at each other as Lu headed towards her office. Seconds later they heard her office door slam shut.

Lu sat down on the couch in her office after spending the past hour in the ER. She glanced at her watch. 6:45am. Good, she still had 15 minutes before chat room, she told herself with a heavy sigh. She leaned her head back against the back of the couch and closed her eyes.

Lana opened the door to the chat room, where several women were sitting in the circle, laughing.

"Hey Lu..." Lana started, but paused when she quickly realized that the young doctor was not in her usual seat among these women.

"Where's Lu?" Lana questioned. Abbey Shrugged. "We don't know. She didn't show up." Lana looked at her watch.

"What do you mean she didn't show up? It's 7:45."

"We just figured she got held up in the ER or somethin'," Nadia said. Lana shook her head.

"Not that I know of. I saw her go into her office about an hour or so ago." Lana immediately become concerned. Lu was totally exhausted, and not in a good state of mind right now, with worrying about Jonas and caring for her patients.

"I think I can safely say that chat room is cancelled for today, Ladies." Lana told them.

"That's a new one," Amy said with a laugh. "I don't think Lu has ever cancelled chat room."

"Well, she has a lot going on right now," Lana said, defending her friend. "I'm sure she'll be back tomorrow. But I'd better see if I can track her down. See you tomorrow, Ladies."

"Bye, Lana." several of the ladies said in unison. Lana hurried out of the chat room, almost colliding with Peter as she did so.

"Hey Lana, what's up?" Peter asked. "You seem to be in a hurry."

"Where's Lu? She didn't show up for chat." Peter shrugged.

"I don't know. Have you checked her office? She's been spending a lot of time there lately." Lana nodded as she all but ran down the hall toward's Lu's office, followed closely by Peter. Lana opened the office door, stopping dead in her tracks when she stepped inside. She smiled.

"Look at that, Peter. Exhaustion finally took over." Lu was sitting on the couch, elbow propped on the arm of the couch, and her head resting on her hand. It was obvious to them both that she was sound asleep.

"Get her a blanket, Peter. I can't wake her now. She needs to rest." Peter nodded as he left the office, returning seconds later with the requested blanket. Lana gently covered Lu with the blanket, trying not to waken her.

"I hope she will sleep for awhile. I am going to clear her morning schedule." With that, Lana and Peter quietly left the office, leaving an exhausted Lu sound asleep on the couch.


	7. Lu On The Warpath

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to Lifetime Television.

Chapter 7: LU ON THE WARPATH

Lu slowly opened her eyes and glanced around the room, trying to focus on her surroundings. As her eyes began to focus, she suddenly noticed the clock on the wall.

10:30am.

"What the...?" Lu threw the blanket on the floor and bolted across the room, pulling the door open with force.

"LANA!" Lu stormed out of her office and to the reception desk, where Lana was working on the computer.

"What's the matter, Kid?" Lana asked innocently, knowing perfectly well what Lu was going to say.

"What do you mean what's the matter? Lana, do you know what time it is? I missed chat room. I missed patients. How could you let me sleep? What do you think my patients thought when I just didn't show up?"

"Calm down, Girl." Lana said. "Your patients didn't show up because I called them and asked them to reschedule. And as for the chat room, I went in to talk to you and found out from the ladies that you never showed up, and I got worried. I found you asleep in your office. So I cleared your morning schedule. You needed to sleep, Lu."

"Lana, I know you mean well..." Lu started, but Lana interrupted.

"Listen, Kid." Lana walked around the desk and put her arm around her friend. "You don't need to be Wonder Woman M.D. You don't need to wear yourself out like this, Lu. Your boyfriend is missing. You're scared and hurting. You won't even admit it to yourself. You just pretend that nothing is wrong, that nothing is out of the ordinary here. You won't talk about it. Just like when Mickey died. You kept everything bottled up inside. You wouldn't talk about it. You wouldn't take time off work. And you did the same thing after you were...raped." Lana whispered the last word. Lu bit her lip. She knew Lana was right. But it was her way of dealing with things, she told herself.

"Lana, I can't help it. That's how I deal with things...I work." Lu defended herself.

"Lu, you spend all your time taking care of your patients. For once, please take care of yourself. If not for yourself, then for Jonas. He loves you, Lu. If you keep this up you are going to wind up sick yourself. Then how do you think that man is going to feel?"

"Lana..." Lu started, then paused.

"Your schedule is clear until 1:00. Go grab a shower and a bite to eat." Before Lu could answer, her pager went off. Lu glanced at it.

"Gotta go, Lana. It's the ER." Lu turned and ran down the hall towards the ER, glad for the chance to get away from Lana.

"Girl, you're going to kill yourself if you keep this up." Lana said as Lu hurried down the hall. With a wave of her hand, Lu disappeared into the ER department.

Lu poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at her desk. Thursday morning had quickly turned into Thursday afternoon. Between the ER and her own patients, she had kept very busy, not taking time for a break, and trying to stay away from Lana. She knew that Lana would only continue to lecture her and try to get her to slow down and rest. But she couldn't slow down. Keeping herself busy had kept her mind off Jonas. But now, thoughts of him filled her mind. Where was he? What had happened on his flight to Rio earlier that week?

A light knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Yeah?" The door opened and Lana stuck her head in.

"Lu? Can we talk?" Lu sighed.

"Lana, we've already talked. And I really don't feel much like talking right now. It's been a long night, and it's been an extra long day."

"Then how about I talk and you listen?" Lana asked. Lu took a deep breath.

"Fine." She said, knowing that no matter what she said, Lana was going to say what was on her mind.

"Lu, do you remember when you treated a patient of Dr. Campbell's and she died?" Lu nodded. She remembered it well.

"And do you remember why Dr. Campbell accused you of giving the patient to much medication?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?" Lu asked.

"She accused you of over medicating her because of the fact that you had been up all night for all night clinic, and you were totally exhausted. It would have been easy to make a mistake."

"But I didn't make a mistake, Lana. We found out that the girl was taking drugs and they didn't mix well with the meds I gave her."

"That's not the point, Lu. The point is that right now you are totally exhausted. I know you've hardly eaten or gotten any sleep this week. Your eyes are bloodshot and you look like you could collapse any minute. You won't hardly even take a break. I'm sorry, Kid. But I gotta say this. If you keep this up, you are going to make a mistake. You're going to give someone the wrong medication. You cannot effectively treat patients when you are in this shape. And I think you know that. If you keep this up, you will find Dr. Jackson forcing you to take a leave of absence. Now I am pretty sure that you don't want that to happen again, do you?" Lu slowly shook her head, thinking back to two years earlier when she had been forced to take a leave of absence following her rape because Dr. Jackson, the Chief of Staff, had felt that she was unfit to continue caring for her patients. She had been angry, and had begun a downhill spiral that had threatened to destroy everything she had worked so hard for. Lana was right. If this continued, Dr. Jackson would insist that she take a leave of absence.

"You're right, Lana." Lu said softly. "But my patients need me to be here. I can't just leave them high and dry. You know that." Lana sighed. How could she convince her friend that she needed to think about herself first for a change.

"Lu, I know you care about your patients. I know how much they and the clinic mean to you. And that is how much you mean to me. You don't like to see your patients hurting, and I don't like to see you hurting." Lu leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, fighting the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. Lana continued.

"Lu, please for once in your life, think about yourself. Put yourself first. You always do what is best for your patients. Now is the time you need to do what is best for yourself...take the rest of the day off. And maybe tomorrow too. Go home, get cleaned up, eat, get some sleep."

"Lana..." Lu started, but Lana interrupted.

"Girl, if you don't want to do it for yourself, do it for Jonas. I know you don't want him to come home and see you like this. That man loves you, Lu. He..."

"She's right, Lu." A voice interrupted. Lana and Lu turned to see a young man standing in the doorway.


	8. The Eyes Of Love

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to Lifetime Television.

Chapter 8: THE EYES OF LOVE

Lu stared at the young man in disbelief, almost afraid that she was dreaming, that he really wasn't there.

"She's right, Lu." The man said again.

"Jonas?" Lu whispered.

"It's me, honey." Jonas Ray said.

"Jonas." Lu said again as she ran into his outstretched arms, tears streaming down her cheeks. As Jonas wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him, he could feel her body trembling.

Lana stood there for a moment watching the scene before her.

"Welcome home, Jonas. I'll leave you two alone." Lana lightly touched Lu's shoulder as she left the office.

Lu held tightly to Jonas, almost afraid to let him go. For a few minutes they held each other in silence. Then Lu pulled away from him.

"Jonas, what happened? Where were you? I was scared to death that you were..." Lu's voice trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. Jonas kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"Shhh...I'm here now. Everything will be okay." Jonas said in a soothing tone.

"But..." Jonas took her by the hand and led her over to the couch. He sat down, pulling her down to sit on his lap.

"We never made it to Rio," Jonas said. "Kian, the pilot, had a heart attack at the controls. When we went down, I couldn't use the phone. And I knew I needed to find help somehow. I'm not even exactly sure where we were. How did you find out?" Jonas asked.

"Tuesday morning around 4am the cops came and told me that air control had lost contact with your plane Monday afternoon and that you didn't make it to Rio. They came to the clinic later to say that they had found the plane and the pilot, but no sign of...no sign of you." Lu replied.

"That must have been so awful for you, honey. I am so sorry you had to go through this. The searchers found me this morning. They wanted to take me to the nearest hospital. But I begged them to bring me to Rittenhouse. I had to see you, Lu. I figured you must be going through hell. I wanted you to know that I was okay." Lu leaned her head back, resting on his shoulder.

"I was so afraid that you...that you were dead." Lu admitted quietly.

"Knowing you were here waiting for me is what kept me going. I knew I had to get back to you, Lu." As Lu rested her head on his shoulder, Jonas looked into her eyes and for the first time noticed how bloodshot they were and how tired she looked.

"You look exhausted, Lu."

"I'm okay." Lu lied. "At least I am now that you're here." Lu stared into his eyes,

seeing the look of love that she knew she would find there.

"I love you, Jonas." Jonas leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips.

"I love you too, Lu. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Jonas took her left hand in his and gently fingered the beautiful ring that he had given to her before leaving for Rio a few days earlier.

"It's Thursday." Jonas said with a smile. "I've been waiting all week for this. Dr. Luisa Magdalena Delgado, will you marry me?" Lu bit her lip as she continued to gaze into his eyes. At the same time, he was staring into her eyes, which glistened with tears.

She did love him very much. And she knew he loved her. But marriage was a huge step, a big adjustment. Would he be able to handle the heavy demands of her job? Would she be able to fit into his upper class life style?

THE END

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Will Lu accept Jonas' marriage proposal? To find out, please stay tuned for the Season 6 premiere of Strong Medicine, coming soon to a tv near you.

Thanks to everyone who has read my Strong Medicine stories, and for all of the wonderful reviews.

Rena


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